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British Association of Teachers of the Deaf
MAGAZINE • May 2017 • ISSN 1336-0799 • www.batod.org.uk
Conference
The work of IPSEA
What went on
at NEC?
Auditory
perception
test – a review
Join BATOD to get THE Magazine for professionals working with deaf children
e r
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Contents
From your editor
To mark the 40th birthday of Conference Keynotes
BATOD we decided to undertake The development of pragmatics 4
a joint conference with the Helping deaf children who are
University of Manchester – a struggling emotionally 7
further reason being to mark Music and Play 9
Wendy McCracken’s career in Myths, mantras and misunderstandings 12
deaf education. This was a major Learning in action and with others 16
undertaking and, with the administrative support of
the Ear Foundation, a very successful two-day Conference
conference took place in March. Positive Futures for Deaf Children 18 34
Innovations in Bridging the Gap 20
We were delighted to have six keynote speakers of
Linking Listening to Language 22 38
international repute and over thirty workshops in
addition to poster presentations. Taking together all Radio aids at first hearing aid fit 24
the contributors with the exhibitors and delegates Translanguaging 25
there were over 250 people in the Manchester Deaf identity matters 28
Conference Centre for a stimulating and enjoyable Reluctant teenagers 30
two days. Lesson Capture 32
Resilience in military families 33
As usual the May magazine is the conference
Developing literacy using Cued Speech 34
edition of the Association magazine and the large
Using current technologies to
numbers of contributors has led to a bumper edition
improve speech discrimination 36
which will bring to members unable to attend the
Noise susceptibility 38 42
conference the huge range of information and food
Thinking inside the box 40
for thought which delegates enjoyed.
iPad apps 42
Two Manchester students, one currently on the Fair access to exams for signing
course, have given an overview of the conference deaf candidates? 44
from their points of view which, combined with Australian ToD standards 46
articles, in addition to the keynotes, covering topics The Parent Journey 48
as diverse as access to exams for BSL users, use Assessment of mental health difficulties 50
of cochlear implants with radio aids, deaf identity Lasting impact 51
and speech in noise, we hope gives a flavour of the BATOD Foundation 53
vibrancy and stimulating content of this event.
Young person forum 54
Many of the PowerPoint presentations associated Standardised measures 56
with the articles can be found on the BATOD website Radio aids and cochlear implants
and this entire magazine will be available to workshop 58
members on our website shortly after publication as E-learning to increase communication 60
will all editions in future. Conference overview 62
The conference was a great success, as the General features
delegate evaluations underlined, and we look
Reflections on an interesting and
forward to building on this in the future. rewarding career 63 62
IPSEA 64
Forthcoming editions:
September Acoustics and technology Association business
November Specialist provision Shaping practice, influencing change 3
January 2018 Language development What went on at NEC – March 2017 66
March Family support
May Conference edition –
Regulars
Evidence, evidence, evidence Review – Auditory Perception Test 68
Representing you 69
Abbreviations and acronyms 62
Calendar 64 63
Magazine Editor
Need to contact BATOD
Cover: A selection of photographs from the
about other matters? Conference by Robert Egan. The background
Talk to National Executive Officer Paul Simpson image of the pendulum is by David Evans.
email: exec@batod.org.uk
answerphone/fax: 0845 6435181 For information on advertising rates see www.batod.org.uk
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Association business
Shaping practice, influencing
change
Stuart Whyte shares his thoughts as he reaches the mid-point in his Presidency
It was a privilege to introduce BATOD’s joint Conference budget situation in their recent report by saying, ‘funding
with Manchester University last May. From the outset, I per pupil is reducing in real terms’. Education services face
invited delegates to use the opportunity to kindle their perplexing budget challenges and are hard pressed on
thoughts, to be inspired and to enlighten their every side, but hopefully not despairingly crushed yet!
understanding. I encouraged everyone to be curious, to
Along with contentious announcements from the DfE that
challenge their thinking and practice and to be reflective by
they regard funding to be at record levels, Ministers have
sharing learning and connecting with others during the
actively discussed school improvement:
breaks.
The Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP – Minister of State for School
A politician once said his three priorities were ‘Education,
Standards – said that the key to improving schools is
Education, Education’. We are all leaders in deaf education
‘ensuring teachers of the future are equipped with an up-to-
and our priorities should be Evidence, Evidence, Evidence.
date understanding of the latest research and a desire to
Another moment captured in the Parliamentary record is use evidence to inform their teaching practice.’ (Speech to
Winston Churchill’s poetic eulogy for his predecessor in Buckingham University PGCE students, 16 February 2017)
1940. It includes his perspective that we are guided by our
conscience and personal integrity, rather than past glories. The Rt Hon Justine Greening MP – Secretary of State for
Education – said, ‘I believe that professional development
‘History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of and school improvement are one and the same thing.’
the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its (Speech to the Association of School and College Leaders,
echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former 10 May 2017)
days. What is the worth of all this? The only guide to a man
is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the We do need a passionate workforce that identifies need,
rectitude and sincerity of his actions.’ plans for this, intervenes and measures its effectiveness.
We want high-quality teaching to be a child or young
Looking back at the history of deaf education some have person’s first experience in their learning, rather than
the sense that we stumbled along trails responding to repeated challenge and failure.
testing problems in the light of a flickering lamp! There will
be different views on what constituted the informed highs The second International Conference on Teaching Deaf
and ill-founded lows, the unproven approaches, the Learners was held in Amsterdam from March 22 – 24, 2017.
experiments, the methods based on tradition or the great One of the messages of the conference was that support
leaps forward and glories of the past. Just over 40 years for listening and learning in mainstream classrooms may
ago, in our first President’s address, Con Powell mentioned stop too early and if so, we should be prepared that the gap
the need to look at the results of ‘the oral approach’ and between primary, secondary and post-16 education may
‘manual or manually assisted methods’ but warned that ‘we widen when complex language skills are required for
must beware of assuming that what is true for some, is literacy and cognitive activities.
necessarily true for all.’ Dr Ruth Swanwick, recently appointed Professor of Deaf
It is incredible to think that I am now over half way through Education at the University of Leeds, spoke at our
my tenure as President of BATOD. Knowing our heritage is conference and at the Teaching Deaf Learners event. She
important, I am proud that BATOD has supported Sue encouraged practitioners to make simple changes in their
Gregory’s work and leading role in the History of Deaf interactions and dialogue with learners and to analyse in
Education area of our website www.batod.org.uk/ more depth how language use in the classroom supports
index.php?id=/resources/history. It is a developing resource learning. We need a ‘continued dialogue about plural and
diverse language experience and use that includes sign,
which gives an account of many important developments,
spoken, and written modalities and all the multiplicities
changes debates and discussions.
therein’ (Swanwick, 2017).
Within the BATOD conference Dr Connie Mayer shared her
The workforce needs a wider awareness of strategies that
perspectives from the past with the theme ‘Myths, Mantras
are effective in supporting deaf leaners that is underpinned
and Misunderstandings’. It is important to acknowledge the
by specialist teaching advice from ToDs with the Mandatory
professional debates along the way, but we need sound
Qualification. There is a Greek word that is fixed in my
knowledge and evidence of best teaching practice.
mind: ἀνυπόκριτος (anupokritos). It is often translated as
I think looking back at history also helps us to see that we sincere and its literal meaning is ‘without hypocrisy’. So,
can find hope in challenging times. Even the cross-party although we may see through a glass, darkly, let us be
Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee criticises the guided by evidence and cling to what is good practice.
© BATOD Magazine · May 2017 · 3
Conference keynote presentations
The development of
pragmatics
Christine Yoshinaga-Itano discusses pragmatic language development from early
childhood through to secondary education
One of the biggest challenges for families as well as were not yet mastered with complex language by seven
Teachers of the Deaf is the challenge of developing years of age by children who are deaf identified through
pragmatic language skills that are age appropriate and UNHS: 1) provides information on request, 2) repairs
commensurate with age-matched or cognitively- incomplete sentences, 3) ends conversations, 4)
matched peers. The goal for children who are deaf is interjects, 5) apologises, 6) requests clarification, 7)
that they develop language and communication skills makes promises, 8) ask questions to problem solve, 9)
commensurate with their cognitive potential. Significant asks questions to make predictions, 10) retells a story,
successes are apparent when documenting language 11) tells a 4-6 picture story in the right order, 12) creates
skills of children who have been early-identified as a original story, 13) explains relationships between
result of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention objects-action-situations and 14) compares and
(EHDI) programs. Many of these children have contrasts. Mastery was defined as 75% of children in
developed good expressive vocabulary skills and their age group demonstrating the skill using complex
receptive syntax comprehension, as well as intelligible language. Most of the children who were deaf were able
articulation skills. to demonstrate the pragmatic strategy using one to
three word utterances. However, they were unable to
However, early-identified children, even under optimal
express the pragmatic strategy using complex language.
situations, have often demonstrated delayed expressive
syntax as measured by the length of their utterances, Therefore, if we are to promote normal language
and delayed pragmatic language skills. Goberis, et al. development, it is important to begin teaching parents
(2009) found that children who are deaf between the about strategies that can promote age-appropriate
ages of four and seven years, had delayed pragmatic development in the toddler period. Though educators of
language skills when compared to children with normal primary and secondary children who are deaf have
hearing. Even at the age of seven, there were pragmatic developed many strategies to develop pragmatic
language skills present in typically developing four year language skills, the strategies have been predominantly
olds that had still not been developed completely by the used to decrease delays. Since we now are able to
majority (75%) of children who are deaf. identify children early and it is now possible to begin to
provide them with access to language and
Fortunately, these pragmatic language skills are
communication at the ages when skills are developed in
teachable and both parents and teachers can play
typical language development. We now have the
significant roles in facilitating development of these skills
opportunity to develop teaching strategies that could
as early as children with normal hearing. For the
prevent the pragmatic language delays as long as they
children identified by the universal newborn hearing
are taught in the early years and incorporate parents
screening (UNHS), it is extremely important to begin to
and families in intentionally teaching children the
develop these pragmatic language skills at earlier ages
vocabulary, syntax, and the situations in which they are
than school-age, starting at two to five years of age. The
needed.
skills that begin to develop in typical development
between 2.5 and 3.5 years of age first with one to three When thinking about pragmatic language development
word utterances and then with complex sentences are: and developing strategies for children who are deaf, it is
1) expressing personal needs, 2) requesting help, 3) helpful to know about the initial development of
describing an object wanted, 4) making polite requests, pragmatic language skills and the end goals for
5) using language to make choices, 6) changing the transition into adult life. When children transition to adult
style of commands and requests, 7) giving directions to life, they will need receptive language skills that enable
make something, 8) identifying feelings, 9) using them to listen effectively, to understand complaints and
language to complain, 10) using questions for curiosity, needs of customers on the job, to understand
11) requesting clarification and 12) using questions to suggestions and questions of peers and to understand
request information. directions given by police officers, judges, doctors, news
broadcasters, plumbers and electricians.
The Pragmatic Checklist, described by Goberis et al.
(2009) included 45 items. 43 of these items are typically They will need to use language appropriate for peers
mastered by children with typical development by 4.5 and be able to express themselves clearly: by using
years of age using complex language. Of the 45 items words/language that don’t alienate peers,
on the pragmatic language checklist, the following items words/language appropriate for an interview,
4 • ©BATOD Magazine • May 2017
Conference keynote presentations
demonstrating the ability to use inoffensive language conversing socially, when expressing views to an
when expressing political views, and the ability to use elected official and when giving testimony in court. As
language so that a doctor can understand symptoms. adults they will have to identify main ideas in messages:
They will need to alter language so that they can be be able to recognize commitments, promises, threats
understood by a police officer when making a complaint, and commands, main ideas in political speeches, main
be understood by a banker when making a loan ideas in health related news, be able to identify critical
application and be understood by peers when issues in trial testimony and express main ideas in a
communicating with them about a variety of topics and contract agreement.
issues. In order to get a job, adults need to use
Children begin to understand what the difference
language appropriate for an employment interview and
between telling a lie and telling the truth is when they
when conversing with a supervisor, with peers when
are three to five years of age. But the ability to
expressing a point of view, or when engaging in informal
distinguish truth from falsehood is a skill that will be
discussion of political views. As a parent, they may need
needed throughout their lives. As they grow, they will
to use gestures that enhance a child’s understanding of
need to be able to determine when peers are telling the
how to perform a household task.
truth or when they are attempting to fool them. In social
Children between three and five years of age begin situations, children who are unable to make these
learning how to provide others with the information that distinctions may find themselves the objects of mean
they need to understand a situation that their jokes and tricks, or may become victims if children
conversational partner has not witnessed. This ability attempt to convince them to do something that is wrong.
becomes especially important when children need to tell When our children transition to adults will they be able to
adults about something that has occurred, including distinguish fact from fiction: about job opportunities,
teachers and parents, when they wish to report an about complaints, in advertisements, with regard to
emergency, an accident or something which requires opinions about effective illness treatment, facts and
adult intervention. This ability to provide information opinion in newscasts and facts and opinion in testimony,
which allows another to understand the situation be able to distinguish between informative and
requires that the child understand what the other person persuasive messages In a job interview, when subjected
knows, doesn't know and what they need to know in to propaganda, when subjected to persuasive messages
order to understand. by attorneys, in sales presentations and about
non-prescription drugs.
Ability is needed to use language for social situations
such as emergencies, to function independently for As adults, they will need to recognize when another
citizenship responsibilities, such as voting, sitting on a does not understand the message. Adults need to
jury, or expressing oneself to a police officer or in court. understand positions on a public issue, directions for
Children transitioning to adults will need to use language product use such as taking medication, or how to put
appropriate for specific social situations: when reporting something together. Adults and children need to know
a fire, when soliciting funds for a charity, when when someone doesn’t understand his/her requests and
they need to be able to
restate or rephrase to
provide sufficient
information to the
conversational partner.
They will need to know
when someone doesn’t
understand their
instructions and be able to
express ideas clearly and
concisely: for relevant
information about
performance, to describe a
crime or accident, to be
able to explain citizens’
rights to another, or why
something has
malfunctioned, or an
unfamiliar task to a child, or
their values to their child or
friend.
They will need to be able to
express or defend with
© B AT O D M a g a z i n e · May 2017 · 5
Conference keynote presentations
evidence their point of view, in a political discussion, with and regulations pertaining to some action, a public
a supervisor, to defend innocence in court, to defend service message about auto safety or a telephone
refusal to accept products or services not ordered and to conversation for other family members
defend their faith or religion and their feelings in a family
Functioning independently will also require the ability to
discussion. Ability to function independently as adults
describe another’s viewpoint: for example, a supervisor
will involve the ability to organize (order) messages so
who disagrees with job performance, or a friend who
others can understand them such as when making a
disagrees about public issues, a jury member who
suggestion to the supervisor, when explaining a political
disagrees about information presented, or the viewpoint
view. They will need to have the ability to use cause-
of a spouse who disagrees on a major decision. As they
effect when giving an accident report, and have the
progress in school, they will need to be able to describe
ability to use chronological order when explaining
differences in opinion found in things they have read, or
complaints to elected officials or how to prevent
by classmates. As adults, they will need to be able to
accidents using a cause-effect order with their child.
describe differences in opinion between co-workers, with
As children, even as young as three to five years old, customers about product performance, with legislators
they will begin to have opinions and will need to be able about proposed legislation, with other jurors, between a
to express them to their parents and teachers instead of spouse about child rearing, with a doctor regarding
crying or screaming. They need to begin to learn how to health care, or to express feelings to others: to a job
teach others a game or give instructions to make supervisor, to a co-worker. They will need to be able to
something. As adults, for independent living, they will express anger about a situation, positive reactions to a
require the ability to ask questions to obtain information: situation, a remark, or a movie, and to express feelings
about correct performance, about political views, about of disapproval or feelings of dissatisfaction to a store
credit ratings, about laws and regulations, about a employee, or to perform social rituals: such as
politician’s viewpoint. As adults they will need the ability introducing a speaker, introducing oneself, greeting
to give concise and accurate information: about product customers, making small talk or introducing a motion at
use, about improving performance, or in procedures a public meeting.
necessary to vote or file a tax return. When they become
It is helpful for parents and family members to
parents or if they wish to become a teacher, they will
understand the full continuum of the language required
need the ability to teach a child to play a game or teach
for the development of social pragmatics from being a
a child what to do in case of fire.
toddler, for three to five year olds, for primary and
Summarizing information requires an individual to be secondary students, and for functioning in adult life.
able to determine the most important pieces of Only by understanding how pragmatic language skills
information. Throughout their schooling, children will become more complex with age can we begin to
need to listen to lectures and identify the main ideas. prepare our children who are deaf for independent living.
They will need to be able to take notes in classes, which
Christine Yoshinaga-Itano is Research Professor at the
require the child to know what is most important. They
Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of
will need to write summaries of things they read or
Colorado.
movies they see. They will learn to identify main ideas
by telling parents about what has happened at school or
by telling teachers stories about what happened on the Reference
playground. Goberis D, Dalpes M, Abrisch A, Baca R & Yoshinaga-Itano
C (2012). The missing link in language development of
As adults, they will need to be able to summarize deaf and hard of hearing children: pragmatic language
messages: about positions of political candidates, development. Seminars in Speech and Language, 33(4),
arguments for and against a controversial issue, laws 297-304.
6 • ©BATOD Magazine • May 2017
Conference keynote presentations
Helping deaf children who
are struggling emotionally
Barry Wright argues that there needs to be greater emphasis on the mental health of
deaf children even when budgets are under increasing pressure
In times of austerity, funding for most services is reductions in sensory support team numbers. Many
reduced as local and national government seek to limit early intervention services have set higher entry criteria.
spending and contain budgets. In terms of children's Similarly, funding for specialist school placements is
services, this inevitably means reductions in local limited, and the support available for deaf children in
authority and local NHS services. In recent times many mainstream provision is often limited and shared.
localities have therefore seen reductions in youth clubs, Training provision for mainstream teachers is also
youth services, behaviour support teams, looked after sparse.
children’s services and youth offending services. As
managers retrench back to core business, there is also One of the greatest challenges in relation to this
a reduction in projects that are multi-agency funded. emerging picture is that at the very time when austerity
Similarly, child mental health services within the NHS creates this reduced service provision, it is also busy
are relentlessly challenged to make ever deepening cost creating higher mental health needs. The number of
improvement savings and funding has been withdrawn children with self-harm and eating disorders in the
from multi-agency projects, preventive work and looked general population is relentlessly going up, and a study
after children’s services. As managers seek to protect published in 2015 that surveyed deaf children up and
budgets, higher thresholds for entering services are down the country found that in a community sample
created. Many local transformation plans across the there were much higher rates of mental health problems
country are creating locality services in schools, which, in deaf children compared to hearing children, and there
whilst good, are very variable in different places and seemed to be a particular spike for emotional problems
create a new 'seam' between services across care in teenage deaf girls (Roberts et al, 2015).
pathways. As all types of service provision are facing So what is it reasonable to refer to child mental health
similar challenges it is beholden on us to continue to
services? The first thing to say is all deaf children have a
work together to find ways through these challenges.
right to access child mental health services just as any
As gaps in service provision appear in multiple places, other child does. Deaf children and their families can
deaf children face additional challenges accessing often have difficult experiences in NHS services, and
support. In some parts of the country there have been may need advocacy support from Teachers of the Deaf
© B AT O D M a g a z i n e · May 2017 · 7
Conference keynote presentations
point of access services should be
set up in every part of the country.
For children and young people who
are deaf then there is a national
deaf child mental health service
(NDCAMHS). Any professional
working with a child (for example a
Teacher of the Deaf, special
educational needs co-ordinator, a
language therapist etc.) can make a
referral to NDCAMHS. NDCAMHS
is specifically there to help deaf
children and their families when
they have child mental health
problems that local services are
struggling to support with. Whilst
local (mainstream) child mental
health services should be the first
port of call usually, NDCAMHS is a
specialist back up service. This
service will often work with other
professionals and with local
to enable them to receive appropriate provision. Many
CAMHS. There is no additional funding requirement for
Teachers of the Deaf ask which children they should be
a referral to NDCAMHS because this is an NHS
referring to child and adolescent mental health services. England funded service. There are ten centres – in
The simple answer is that for any emotional or south London, Taunton, Maidstone, Cambridge, Oxford,
psychological condition where there is a treatment Nottingham, Dudley, Manchester, York and Newcastle. If
recognised by the National Institute for Clinical in doubt contact us and ask for advice.
Excellence (NICE) then child mental health services will
have been commissioned to provide it. Most services The four main numbers for this service are as follows:
now have clear ‘care pathways’ for NICE guideline South West – Taunton 01823 368525
approved treatments in child mental health. So what ndcamhstaunton@sompar.nhs.uk
does this include? This includes children with clinical South East – London 020 3513 6860/5802
depression, psychosis and ADHD. Anxiety disorders that ndcamhs@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk
can be treated include obsessive compulsive disorders,
The Midlands – Dudley/Walsall 01922 608822
serious phobias, generalised anxiety disorder (where a
deafcamhs@dwmh.nhs.net
child is anxious in almost all situations), serious social
anxiety disorder of childhood (where a child is unable to The North – York 01904 294231
go to school because of fears) and panic attacks. NDCAMHSNorth.lypft@nhs.net
One of the difficulties is where parents or professionals Another key point is that all deaf children or young
are not sure whether a child’s sadness is a normal part people who have significant psychological or emotional
of childhood/adolescence or whether it represents problems or illnesses will need support from those
clinical depression. It is indeed true that many people people around them including parents, teachers,
have ups and downs in life and may frequently feel sad pastoral care leads, school nurses, educational
or upset about things. Clearly someone who does not psychologists, school staff and so on (the list is
want to go to school because they would rather be endless). The vast majority of children will still be going
playing football or watching television is not usually to school and support for these problems is not
depressed. However, if someone has been low in mood necessarily always about 'therapy'. It is mostly about
addressing the causes of stress and promoting coping.
for several weeks or months and has lost all interest in
In this way day to day interventions such as improving
their hobbies and activities, is struggling to have fun in
communication, reducing isolation, establishing
any setting and has reduced energy levels then this is
supportive peer group networks with other deaf children,
probably a depressive illness. One of the reasons there
supporting learning, stopping bullying, engaging them in
are ‘consultation services’ is so that teachers and other
activities they enjoy, and just being friendly and checking
professionals can seek advice about what kind of
regularly how young people are, can make a huge
support a young person needs. Most schools now have
difference. In this way supporting children and young
some kind of links with child and adolescent mental
people is Everybody's Business.
health services including wellbeing workers or a single
point of access where such advice can be received. The Professor Barry Wright is Clinical Lead, National Deaf
national suggested guidelines are currently that single CAMHS (York base).
8 • ©BATOD Magazine • May 2017Conference keynote presentations
Music and Play
Tonya Bergeson-Dana investigates the role of play and music in early language
experience and cognitive development in children with hearing impairment
In their ground-breaking 1995 book Meaningful improve speech and spoken language skills in listeners
Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young with severe to profound hearing loss. They were not
American Children, Betty Hart and Todd Risley relayed designed to transmit cues to frequency (what we hear
findings from their longitudinal study on language as low/high pitch) and timbre (what we hear as sound
acquisition suggesting that children from affluent quality or instrumentation), both important features of
environments might hear 30 million more words by music (Bergeson & Holt, in press; Moore & Carlyon,
their fourth birthdays than children from low-income 2008). Ultimately, people who listen to music via a
environments. This gap, known as the ‘achievement cochlear implant have to work harder than people
gap’, predicts lower scores on tests of intelligence, without hearing loss to perceive and understand music.
vocabulary, information processing, and later success Music Perception and Production in Children with
in school (eg Fernald, Marchman, Weisleider, 2013, and without Hearing Loss
Hoff, 2013). Young children with typical hearing experience music
Children with hearing loss have historically had similar as early as in the womb, placing children with
achievement gaps in language and cognition. Despite congenital hearing loss at a very early disadvantage.
major advances in assistive devices such as digital Fetuses can hear low-frequency sounds that might
hearing aids and cochlear implants, children with sound like hummed speech or melodic patterns, and
severe to profound hearing loss vary widely in their they can use this information to learn songs that their
speech, language, and cognitive outcomes, with some caregivers play for them during the last trimester of
children experiencing delays into adulthood, as pregnancy.
compared to their typically developing peers (eg Geers Caregivers typically provide young babies with musical
& Sedey, 2011; Kronenberger, Pisoni, Henning & speech, playsongs, and lullabies during their first
Colson, 2013). months of life. Mothers' speech to babies is often more
Researchers and scholars in child development have song-like, with higher pitch, increased pitch range,
come up with great factors such as grit and growth shorter utterances, longer pauses, and much more
mindset to tackle the achievement gap. Concepts such repetition than their speech to older children and other
as these suggest that growing up is hard work for both adults. Mothers' songs to babies are similarly
children and parents, particularly those who have a exaggerated. Maternal speech prosody is very similar
hearing impairment. However, there is a growing body to infants with profound hearing loss who use cochlear
of research that suggests that children learn best in implants, and it is tailored to the infants' hearing
playful environments. In this article I will focus on the experience rather than their chronological age
importance of play in the early development of children (Bergeson, Miller, & McCune, 2006). Moreover, infants
with hearing impairment, and how playing music in with and without hearing loss are mesmerized by
particular might serve in developing the fundamental infant-directed speech and singing.
skills necessary for optimizing speech, language, and What do we know about more formal music
cognitive outcomes. development in children with and without hearing loss?
Listening to Music with Assistive Devices Skills related to pitch – namely pitch discrimination (is
Before discussing music interventions for children with one note higher or lower than another?), perception
and production of melodic contour (whether a series of
hearing loss, it is important to understand how
pitches moves upward or downward, or stays level)
assistive listening devices affect music perception.
and perception and production of melodies – are
Hearing aids and cochlear implants do not restore
generally poorer in children with hearing loss who use
‘normal’ hearing. Digital hearing aids allow for some
hearing aids or cochlear implants, although they can
control of things like the ratio of sound to noise in the
often complete the tasks above chance performance.
environment, but issues with frequency and dynamic
A portion of the poorer performance can be explained
range, as well as reduced frequency selectivity (ie. did I
by cognitive factors. For example, children with
just hear a C or a C#?) still plague music listeners
cochlear implants can discriminate two tones differing
(Chasin & Russo, 2004).
by one semitone (the difference between a white and
Cochlear implants are auditory prostheses designed to black key on a piano keyboard), but only in very
© B AT O D M a g a z i n e · May 2017 · 9Conference keynote presentations
simple conditions. When the task becomes more is not 'relief from serious learning,' it is learning” (Fred
complex, performance drops. Rogers had a children's television show in the US
called Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood). Play is fun and
Children with and without hearing loss equally perceive
motivating, and can encourage mental representations
and produce tempo, the speed of notes, rhythm, the
and perspective-taking. When adults guide the play,
note-to-note changes in duration, and meter, the
they can take the child from lower levels of
mental patterns we might call the ‘beat’ that result from
independent development to reach their greatest
a combination of rhythm, pitch, and loudness cues.
potential. A famous child psychologist, Lev Vygotsky,
That is, any distortion of sound resulting from hearing
suggested that adults do this by scaffolding, or guiding
loss or assistive devices does not seem to affect
children through difficult challenges by giving clues and
perception and production of rhythm and meter.
information that will help them reach new levels of
Emotion in music is primarily conveyed by mode (ie a development. This kind of guidance is best received by
song in a major scale ‘do re mi fa sol la ti do’ sounds the child in the context of a playful environment.
happy whereas a song in a minor scale, such as
When we play music, we usually do this in a social
Beethoven's 5th Symphony, sounds sad) and tempo
context. This could be parents singing with their babies
(fast = happy, slow = sad). Children with normal
or young children learning music in a group. Music
hearing can make use of both mode and tempo cues
training in playful, interactive social contexts can be
for emotion; however, children with cochlear implants
associated with successful outcomes in the four main
primarily use tempo cues to understand emotion in
areas that follow.
music.
Music, Play and Speech Perception
Playing Music as an Intervention for Children with
Nina Krauss and her colleagues at Northwestern
Hearing Loss
University have conducted several research studies
Given that children with hearing impairment who use
that show that music training is associated with better
assistive devices are at a disadvantage in music
performance on skills related to speech perception. For
perception and production, will music be an effective
example, young adults with better rhythm
intervention for them? Children with hearing loss still
discrimination also have better sentence-in-noise
actively participate in musical activities and enjoy
perception, and children who receive musical training
music despite such disadvantages. Moreover, although
have faster and more robust brain responses to speech
children with hearing aids and cochlear implants do not
sounds than children enrolled in music appreciation
perform as well as children with typical hearing, they do
class. The key to these studies is likely to be that
perform above chance on many music perception and
paying attention to sounds in music (eg ‘let's perform
production tasks. Finally, playing music is not simply
this phrase a little louder’ and ‘the rhythm in this
judging whether notes are higher or lower than one
measure is different than the rhythm in this measure’)
another in a laboratory. Playing music is much more
translates to paying attention to sounds in speech (eg
comprehensive than that. Children with hearing aids
‘this is a /t/, not a /d/’). It is highly likely that these types
and cochlear implants can be included in musical
of skills could generalize to children with hearing loss.
activities like singing songs, listening to distinctions
among instruments, and so on, despite any Music, Play and Language Development
disadvantages, and these activities can be used Young children's earliest experience with music is
effectively in an intervention. Playing music is an caregivers' musical speech and singing. Babies
enjoyable experience for children, parents, and naturally pay attention to infant-directed speech and
instructors, which will maintain interest and motivation, singing, which is highly beneficial for language
and many recent studies have shown that active development because this register of speech and
participation in musical activities generalizes to other singing just so happens to highlight linguistic features
cognitive skills, such as speech perception, language such as vowels, target words and phrases. For
development, executive function and social example, mothers of babies with and without hearing
development. loss stretch out the space between vowels to make
them more distinct (Wieland, Burnham, Kondaurova,
Why is the play component so important in playing
Bergeson, & Dilley, 2012). Infant-directed speech has
music? Many parents and educational administrators in
also been shown to influence infants' language
recent years have expressed concerns that play is not
processing skills, which then helps along language
serious learning. But as Mr. Rogers once stated, “Play
development (Weisleder & Fernald, 2013). Children's
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British Association of Teachers
of the Deaf @BATOD_UK
10 • ©BATOD Magazine • May 2017Conference keynote presentations
songs similarly highlight target words with melodic and Music, Play and Social Cognition
rhythmic phrasing, and make use of repetition (Twinkle, Social cognition involves our understanding of
Twinkle; Frère Jacques, etc.) while keeping the musical intentions, emotions, and beliefs. We construct this
and linguistic syntax simple enough to focus on and type of knowledge through interactions with others,
learn the key words and phrases. such as in a music class! Previous studies have shown
that active musical class leads to better sociability in
Music, Play and Executive Function
infants (Gerry, Unrau & Trainor, 2012) and that
Executive function involves the ability to control your
interpersonal synchrony (such as clapping or dancing
thinking, behavior, and emotions. These skills are
together) is related to more prosocial behavior in
important from a very early age to prepare young
infants (Cirelli et al, 2014).
children for structured classroom environments.
Executive skills that involve cognition include working Let's Play Music
memory, or holding information in memory while Music can be a part of the lives of children with hearing
performing other tasks, and planning, the ability to loss who use hearing aids and cochlear implants
create the steps necessary to reach a goal. In music, despite deficits in perception and production compared
remembering the words, tunes, and rhythms is working to their hearing peers. Keep in mind that children with
memory. Anticipating words, tunes, rhythms, such as hearing loss do participate in and enjoy music, and that
anticipating two hand claps rather than singing the ‘B’ ‘real’ music is often not represented in laboratory tasks.
and ‘I’ in the song ‘Bingo’ is a form of planning. Because it is fun and because it naturally incorporates
so many facets of development (auditory perception,
Executive skills that involve behavior and emotions
visual perception, motor skills, reading notation, etc.),
include inhibition, the ability to resist the urge to say or
playing music should be a component of intervention
do something, and flexibility, the ability to revise plans
for children with hearing loss. In sum, playing music
in the face of new information or obstacles. When
has real potential in helping to close the achievement
singing with a group, children must stick to the words
gap for children with hearing loss.
and tunes or the songs will not make any sense, which
involves inhibition. Children must also think flexibly in Tonya Bergeson-Dana, PhD, is assistant professor at
order to understand that the same tune can be sung Butler University and volunteer associate professor at
high or low and fast or slow. Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
The Ewing Foundation for deaf children and Connevans have been
working together to develop a brand new SiN Toolkit, designed
specifically with Teachers of the Deaf in mind.
Available exclusively through Connevans, the Ewing Foundation
SiN Toolkit allows you to use your own device (computer, tablet,
smartphone etc) to play the pre-recorded sound and includes
the other equipment needed for you to carry out
accurate and repeatable speech in noise tests for pupils of all ages.
Supplied with updated resources including the Manchester Picture Test
with new, modern images; this toolkit is both easy to use and affordable.
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www.ewing-foundation.org.uk Email: toolkit@connevans.comConference keynote presentations
Myths, mantras and
misunderstandings
Connie Mayer makes the case for moving forward and optimising literacy
outcomes for deaf students
In an era when hearing technologies allow the vast language (eg French), it cannot stand in for English,
majority of deaf children to meaningfully access spoken if the goal is to learn to read and write English. While the
language, the opportunities for them to achieve age first language may be supportive in this process, a level
appropriate literacy outcomes have never been greater. of communicative competence in the second language
Yet the field still appears to be mired in the debates and is required. British Sign Language (BSL) would be no
discussions of the past – the myths, mantras and different in this regard. It cannot stand in for English in
misunderstandings that have driven discourse and the process of teaching deaf children to read and write,
practice for the best part of 100 years. In an attempt to and there is no theoretical basis or research evidence to
move the conversation forward in optimising outcomes suggest that it does. BSL and English are two distinct
in the context of 2017, I will focus on three areas that languages and moving from one to the other is an
have continued to generate debate with regard to exercise in translation, not transcription.
literacy development in deaf children.
However, this does not mean that there is no role for
Language, Literacy and Modality or The Great signed communication in the language and literacy
Signing Debate development of deaf children. For any child to develop
This is a debate that seems to be as old as the field competence in a language, four conditions need to be in
itself, and is certainly one that I have spent a great deal place: (i) exposure in quality and quantity, (ii) to
of time thinking and writing about (Mayer & Wells, 1996; accessible input, (iii) while engaged in meaningful
Mayer 2007; Mayer, 2009; Mayer & Leigh, 2010; Mayer, activity, (iv) with capable users of the language (Mayer,
2015). In my view, at least with respect to learning to 2007). With respect to these conditions, the historic
read and to write, this discussion can be distilled into a challenge for deaf children has been that they often
simple question – is the use of signed language have not had ready and easy access to spoken English
supportive of literacy development? via audition alone. In the context of 2017, this has
In thinking about this question, it would be important to shifted so that the majority of deaf children do have
point out the fundamental and critical role that language meaningful access to spoken English via hearing
plays in literacy learning for all students. It is well technologies, and as a consequence are developing the
established that children who have a strong foundation necessary proficiency to learn to read and write it.
in the language of the text they are learning to read and Nevertheless, there continue to be some students who
write achieve the strongest literacy outcomes. Put cannot access English via their ears alone, and need
plainly, to read and write English, you need a language visual supports for the auditory input.
foundation in English.
It is common in our field to refer to English as a
This also holds true for bilingual learners. To learn to spoken/auditory language and BSL as a visual/gestural
read and write in a second language (eg English), a one. But these characterizations create a false
threshold level of proficiency in the second language dichotomy. While undoubtedly English is a spoken
must be achieved (Eskey, 2005). In other words, even language, it also has visual-gestural aspects and is not
when children have a strong foundation in their first conveyed via audition alone, even for hearing learners.
Auditory Visual
Spoken English Gestures, Facial Expression
Auditory + Visual Language Speechreading, Cueing
Fingerspelling, Signing
V V
BSL
Visual Language
Gestures, Facial Expression
Fingerspelling, Signing
12 • ©BATOD Magazine • May 2017Conference keynote presentations
In contrast, BSL is a language that is only accessed age level’. Note that in the second example, the student
visually. The framework below illustrates this distinction. does not demonstrate the use of the non-standard
English syntax typical of deaf pupils in the past, but
For deaf children who need it, it is possible to make
instead evidences strategies typical of hearing pupils
English accessible by exploiting the range of available
(eg invented spelling), reflecting his increased access to
visual avenues in combination with the auditory input
English via his implant.
provided via hearing technologies. The extent to which
these visual-gestural avenues are relied upon depends I go to outside. I go waiting soon start school bus.
on the needs of the individual learner. This is where People line door walked in the school bus and sit down.
signed communication can play a role for some children The bus driver traveled far to the zoo. Wait soon then
(eg pre-implant, late identified) in supporting the stop. (Mayer, 1994)
development of the English needed for learning to read
My name is Harry and when I went to the bach and my
and write.
bdad hung me upsid bane and I lost my in plandt so I did
In summing up, several points are worth emphasizing: not hear. when im go swiming I ware ear bags so I can
l The development of spoken language can take a hir in the pool. I have somme colus I neely war them
‘piggy-back ride on signed language’ (Yoshinaga- evry day. (Mayer et al. 2016)
Itano, 2006) only when the signed communication is This is not to suggest that the job is done. There is still
in English. considerable variability in outcomes with a relatively
l Signed language when accompanied by spoken greater number of deaf students in the low average
language does not interfere with the development of range, and some suggestions that outcomes may
spoken language. It is not the presence of sign, but decline over time (Harris, 2016). This remains an ‘at risk’
the absence of auditory input in English that is the population, and we must always be mindful of the
issue. heterogeneity of the group. While it will never be the
l The communication needs of deaf children can case that all deaf children will read and write at age-
change over time (eg less reliance on signed appropriate levels (nor would this be realistic as not all
communication post-implant). hearing children attain these outcomes), expectations
l BSL and other natural signed languages are not for deaf students have shifted. The new benchmark is
supportive of developing the language that underpins age-appropriate literacy performance as measured by
literacy development in English. the same assessments of literacy that are used with
hearing students. This is a goal that is reasonable and
Literacy Outcomes or Shifting Expectations within reach for many deaf students, and we need to
For 100 years we have been reporting that little move on from contextualizing success in terms of the
progress has been made in improving reading and attainments of the past.
writing outcomes for deaf students, and that the
literacy performance of deaf students has been Teaching Reading and Writing or the Key to
consistently below that of their hearing peers Optimising Outcomes
(Allen, 1986; Conrad, 1979; King & Quigley, 1985; There has been a history in the field of using
Pintner & Patterson, 1916; Quigley & Kretschmer, approaches and programs for teaching reading and
1982; Traxler, 2000). In 2012, Qi & Mitchell reported writing that have been designed specifically for deaf
that gaps between deaf and hearing students have not students. These reflect two different positions on literacy
been closing over the last three decades, and education for this population. The first is a remedial or
questions have been raised as to the extent to which mechanistic approach in which teaching reading and
children with cochlear implants are closing the writing is concomitant with teaching the language itself.
achievement gap (Knoors & Marschark, 2014). These approaches go as far back as the Fitzgerald Key
(1926) and over time have included programs such as
However, I would suggest that it is time we reframe the Appletree Program (1987) and Reading Milestones
this discussion with respect to literacy outcomes. (1991). More recently the use of Colourful Semantics
The landscape in this regard has changed substantially
(1997) has become popular. While there can be a role
and significantly, and in ways that are unprecedented in
for these sorts of structured programs for some
the history of the field. Many more children are achieving
students, I would argue that they are not the
reading and writing outcomes commensurate with their
approaches needed for the majority – and it remains
hearing counterparts (eg Antia et al. 2009; Archbold et
an open question as to how successful these programs
al. 2008), and in a recent review of 19 studies of literacy
are in terms of teaching the language that is needed to
outcomes in students with cochlear implants, it was
support literacy.
found that the majority reported mean reading scores in
the average range (Mayer & Trezek, 2016). Doing ‘less The second approach is grounded in a bilingual model
well’ also looks fundamentally different that it did in the of literacy education – of using a natural signed
past. Consider the two writing samples below – both language such as BSL or ASL to teach written English.
from nine-year-old deaf children and regarded as ‘below Some examples in the North American context are the
© B AT O D M a g a z i n e · May 2017 · 1 3Conference keynote presentations
Fairview Learning Program (2002) and the ASL-phabet principle), and a focus on enhancing language
(2003). Given that the great majority of deaf children do proficiency (eg low frequency vocabulary, the complex
not acquire a natural signed language as their first syntax of text).
language, and are not educated in that language (ie only
To develop the evidence base with respect to most
2% in the UK (of all deaf children)) (CRIDE, 2015), there
effective practice, Teachers of the Deaf need to be
seems to be a limited need for these programs. In
involved in intervention studies, over time, that include
addition, as noted above, questions remain as to the
the full range of students we teach. This is an area of
efficacy of using BSL as the route to English literacy, as
research that is sorely lacking in our field, but represents
it does not obviate the need for developing competence
an important and necessary pedagogical step forward.
in English even in a bilingual context.
Final Thoughts
In contrast, the pedagogical reality of 2017 is that the
The opportunities for deaf children to learn to read and
vast majority of deaf students are educated in
write as well as their hearing age-mates have never
mainstream settings. They are taught using the
been better. As a Teacher of the Deaf for forty years,
same curricula as the hearing students in the class,
I see this as a cause for celebration. The challenge –
and are being held accountable for the same
and opportunity – in moving forward is to respond
outcomes. Teachers of the Deaf must have knowledge
flexibly in a new era in deaf education to optimise
of these programs and the expertise to differentiate
literacy outcomes for all of the deaf children we teach.
instruction as needed. With respect to teaching
reading and writing, this includes systematic instruction Connie Mayer is Professor and Academic Coordinator,
and adequate support to develop both code-related Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Teacher Education Program,
skills (eg phonological awareness, alphabetic in the Faculty of Education at York University, Toronto.
References: Mayer C (2015). Total communication: Looking back, moving
Allen T (1986). Patterns of academic achievement among forward. In M. Marschark & P. Spencer (Eds.), The Oxford
hearing impaired students: 1974 and 1983. In A. Schildroth & handbook of deaf studies in language: Research, policy, and
M. Karchmer (Eds.), Deaf children in America (pp. 161-206). practice (pp. 31-44). New York: Oxford University Press
San Diego, CA: Little, Brown Mayer C & Leigh G (2010). The changing context for sign
Antia S, Jones P, Reed S & Kreimeyer K (2009). Academic bilingual education programs: Issues in language and the
Status and Progress of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students development of literacy. International Journal of Bilingualism
in General Education Classrooms. Journal of Deaf Studies and Bilingual Education, 13(2), 175-186
and Deaf Education 14(3), 293-310
Mayer C & Trezek B (2016). Literacy achievement of deaf
Archbold S, Harris M, O’Donoghue G, Nikolopoulos T, White learners with cochlear implants: A review of the research.
A & Lloyd Richmond H (2008). Reading abilities after Paper presentation. Annual Conference, American College
cochlear implantation: The effect of age at implantation on Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, New York, NY
outcomes at 5 and 7 years after implantation. International
Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 72, 1471-1478 Mayer C, Watson L, Archbold S, Ng Z & Mulla I (2016).
Reading and writing skills of deaf pupils with cochlear
Conrad R (1979). A deaf school child. London: Harper Row
implants. Deafness Education International
CRIDE (2015). Consortium for research in deaf education –
UK wide summary Mayer C & Wells G (1996). Can the linguistic
interdependence theory support a bilingual model of literacy
Eskey DE (2005). Reading in a second language. In E. education for deaf students? Journal of Deaf Studies and
Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook on second language learning and
Deaf Education, 1(2), 93–107
teaching (pp. 563-579). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum
Pintner R & Patterson D (1916). A measure of the language
Harris M (2016). The impact of cochlear implants on deaf
children’s literacy. In Marschark, M. & Spencer, P. (Eds.), ability of deaf children. Psychological Review, 23, 413-436
Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies in Language (pp. 407- Qi S & Mitchell RE (2012). Large scale academic
419). New York: Oxford University Press achievement testing of deaf and hard-of-hearing students:
King C & Quigley S (1985). Reading and deafness. San Past, present, and future. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf
Diego, CA: College Hill Press Education, 17, 1-18
Knoors H & Marschark M (2014). Teaching deaf learners. Quigley S & Kretschmer RE (1982). The education of deaf
New York: Oxford University Press children: Issues, theory, and practice. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed
Mayer C (1994). Action research: The story of a partnership. Traxler C (2000). The Stanford Achievement Test, 9th edition:
In G.Wells (Ed.), Changing schools from within: Creating National norming and performance standards for deaf and
communities of inquiry (pp. 151-170). Portsmouth, N.H: hard of hearing students. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf
Heinemann Education, 5, 337-348
Mayer C (2007). What matters in the early literacy Yoshinaga-Itano C (2006). Early identification,
development of deaf children. Journal of Deaf Studies and communication modality, and the development of speech and
Deaf Education, 12, 411-431. spoken language skills: Patterns and considerations. In B.
Mayer C (2009). Issues in second language literacy Schick, M. Marschark & P.E. Spencer (Eds.), Advances in the
education with learners who are deaf. International Journal of spoken language development of deaf children (pp. 298-
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 12(3), 325-334 327). New York, NY: Oxford University Press
14 • ©BATOD Magazine • May 2017You can also read
